Timeline: China Japan island dispute

The island chain in the East China Sea - known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, has been controlled by Japan but also claimed by China and Taiwan. Take a look at the key dates that contributed to the territorial dispute.

15th-16th centuries:

Chinese books, published in 1403 and 1534 during the Ming Dynasty, mention Diaoyu in chronicling journeys through the island area.

1895:

The Japanese government annexes a group of five uninhabited islands and three rocks as part of Okinawa on January 14 on the grounds that they have never been controlled by any other country.

1896:

The Japanese government leases the island group to Japanese entrepreneur Tatsushiro Koga. Koga builds plants to process bonito fish and albatross feathers, later employing up to 280 workers.

1918:

Koga dies and his son Zenji takes over his business.

1932:

The Japanese government sells four of the islands to Zenji Koga.

1940:

Koga abandons the business, leaving the islands uninhabited again.

1945:

Japan surrenders to the US-led allied nations at the end of World War II. The islands remain under US occupation as part of Okinawa until 1972.

1949:

The People's Republic of China is founded by the Communist Party, with the Nationalists retreating to the island of Taiwan.

1969:

The UN Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific reports there may be potential undersea oil reserves in the vicinity of the islands.

1971:

The governments of China and Taiwan formally declare ownership of the islands.

1972:

Okinawa is returned to Japanese rule.

1972-1985:

Koga sells the islands in individual transactions to the Kurihara family, which runs a trading house and owns land throughout Japan.

1978:

About 100 Chinese fishing boats sail close to the islands. A Japanese nationalist group builds a lighthouse on Uotsuri, one of the islands. (In 2005, the lighthouse is handed over to the Japanese government.)

1996:

The nationalist group builds another lighthouse on another of the islands. Several activists from Hong Kong dive into waters off the islands on a protest journey. One of them drowns.

2002:

The Japanese ministry of internal affairs starts renting three of the four Kurihara-owned islands. The other is rented by the defence ministry.

2004:

A group of Chinese activists lands on one of the disputed islands. The then prime minister Junichiro Koizumi orders their deportation after two days.

2010:

September

A Chinese fishing boat rams two Japanese coastguard patrol boats off the islands. Its captain is arrested but freed around two weeks later amid a heated diplomatic row that affects trade and political ties.